Apparatus for Putting on a Support Stocking

ABSTRACT

An apparatus is described for putting on a support stocking with a frame ( 1 ) comprising a stretching device ( 2 ) for two stretching jaws ( 17 ) each provided with a receiver ( 20 ) for the stocking and a self-locking spindle drive ( 5 ) for actuating the stretching device ( 2 ). In order to provide advantageous constructional conditions it is proposed that the stretching device ( 2 ) comprises stretching arms ( 3 ) which are held in a swivellable way in the frame ( 1 ), carry the stretching jaws ( 17 ) with the stocking receivers ( 20 ) and which each act via a guide rod ( 7 ) on the spindle drive ( 5).

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The invention relates to an apparatus for putting on a support stocking with a frame comprising a stretching device for two stretching jaws each provided with a receiver for the stocking and a self-locking spindle drive for actuating the stretching device.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PRIOR ART

Stocking aids are known for putting on stockings which have a substantially U-shaped stretching bracket over which the stocking is pulled and is held tight by means of a clamping device in order to strip the stocking stretched with the help of a frame carrying the stretching bracket over the foot. These stocking aids are not suitable for support stockings which need to be stretched open by overcoming considerable elastic forces for sliding said stocking over the stretching bracket, which cannot be expected especially of persons who require such stocking aids. It was therefore already proposed for putting on support stockings (DE 198 03 503 A1) to provide a stretching device with two stretching jaws each forming a receiver for the stocking for the purpose of stretching open the support stocking. From these stretching jaws provided in a frame, one is displaceably held on the longitudinal legs of the frame and can be driven with the help of a self-locking spindle drive, so that a support stocking, in the closed position of stretching jaws, can be slid onto stocking receivers without elastic widening before the movable stretching jaw is widened relative to the fixed stretching jaw by actuating the spindle drive and the stretched support stocking is elastically widened in order to create a sufficient passage opening for the foot. Although the application of force for widening the support stocking can be kept at a comparatively low level as a result of the transmission of the spindle drive and the self-locking of the spindle drive prevents any likelihood of injury due to the elastic restoring forces exerted by the support stocking on the stretching jaws, such a known stocking aid for elastic support stockings was unsuccessful on the market because the frame forms a circumferentially enclosed passage opening for the foot, thus making the handling of such a stocking aid very difficult because the stretching jaws need to be stretched in the longitudinal direction of the foot.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The invention is thus based on the object of configuring an apparatus for putting on a support stocking of the kind mentioned above that the support stocking can not only be stretched open against its elastic restoring forces with very little application of force, but is also stretched open in such a way that the subsequent slipping of the stretched support stocking over the foot can be performed with ease.

This object is achieved by the invention in such a way that the stretching device comprises two stretching arms which are held in a swivelable way in the frame, carry the stretching jaws with the stocking receivers and which each act via a guide rod on the spindle drive.

Since the stretching device comprises two stretching arms which are held in a swivelable manner in the frame and which are operatively connected with the spindle drive via a guide rod each, advantageous constructional conditions are created for a stretching movement transversally to the longitudinal direction of the foot, which not only allows for a limitation of the stretching width of the stretching jaws in comparison with a stretching movement in the longitudinal direction of the foot, but also ensures easy handling because the opening stretching arms release an unlimited amount of space for guiding the foot. After putting on the support stocking, the foot can therefore be moved without any obstructions from the region of the stretching jaws through the frame receiving the stretching arms, without needing to thread the foot through an opening in the frame.

For adjustment to different foot and leg dimensions, the guide rods can be provided with a length-adjustable configuration, so that the angle of opening of the stretching arms can be adjusted via the length of the guide rods for a predetermined actuating stroke of the spindle drive. When setting the stretching angle for adjusting to the respective anatomic conditions of a user of the apparatus, angular displacements of the stretching jaws with the stocking receivers are also obtained. In order to obtain compensation here too, the stretching jaws with the stocking receivers can be held in a swivelable manner on the stretching arms with limitations by stops.

In order to have an additional influence on the force required for spreading the stretching device, the guide rods can optionally be linked to one of several linkage positions between the stretching arms on the one hand and the spindle drive on the other hand, which linkage positions are provided along the stretching arms and/or along a transverse web of the spindle drive. The transmission ratio for the stretching device can thus be changed.

Since the force for widening an elastic support stocking needs to be applied with the help of the stretching device, the two stretching arms can be pretensioned by a spring in the direction of the widening, which spring supports the stretching process via the spindle drive and is pretensioned again after the closure of the stretching jaws by the amount of relief.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The drawings show examples of the subject matter of the invention, wherein:

FIG. 1 shows an apparatus in accordance with the invention for putting on a support stocking in sections in the region of the stretching device in a partly opened top view, and

FIG. 2 shows the stretching device according to FIG. 1 in a side view.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

According to the illustrated embodiment, the apparatus for putting on a support stocking comprises a frame 1 which is not shown in closer detail, is indicated with a dot-dash line and comprises the usual handles and support feet in order to hold the stretching device 2 which is provided in the frame and for stretching the support stocking in a favorable position. The stretching device 2 comprises two stretching arms 3 which are held in a swivelable manner on a housing 4 for a spindle drive 5. In order to provide simple constructional conditions, the stretching arms 3 are held in a displaceable and swivelable manner about a swivel pin 6. It would also be possible to hold the stretching arms 3 separately in the frame 1. Length-adjustable guide rods 7 are provided for the drive connection between the stretching arms 3 and the spindle drive 5, which guide rods are linked between the stretching arms 3 and a transversal web 8 of the spindle drive 5. The linkage pins 9, 10 can be displaced for adjustment to the respective anatomical conditions of a user of an apparatus and for setting the actuating force for the spindle drive 5 along the stretching arms 3 and the transverse web 8, for which purpose respective pin receivers 11, 12 are provided. Since the transverse web 8 is connected with a spindle nut 13 and is guided within axial guide slits 14 of the housing 4, the transverse web 8 is also used simultaneously as a device to prevent turning for the spindle nut 13. The spindle 15 engaging in the spindle nut 13 is held in the housing 4 in a rotatable but axially fixed manner and can be actuated by means of a crank handle 16, leading to a swiveling displacement of the stretching arms 3 in the opposite direction.

Stretching jaws 17 are held on the free ends of the stretching arms 3, which occurs by means of swivel pins 18, which allow for setting the stretching jaws 17 with the help of adjustable stops 19, as is shown especially in FIG. 1. The stretching jaws 17 carry stocking receivers 20 which are provided with a transverse profiling in order to provide an improved grip of the applied support stockings. In order to facilitate the elastic widening of a support stocking slid onto the stocking receivers 20, the two stretching arms 3 of the stretching device 2 are pretensioned in the direction of stretching by a spring 21, so that the force required for actuating the spindle drive 5 for widening the support stocking is reduced accordingly.

For inserting a support stocking on the stocking receivers 20 of the stretching jaws 17, the stretching arms 3 are swiveled with the help of the spindle drive 5 against the force of spring 21 into a closed position in which the support stocking can be slid on without any elastic widening onto the stocking receivers 20, with the upper stocking opening facing forward. This occurs with the inside facing outwardly, so that after the stretching of the stretching device 2 and the resulting elastic widening of the support stocking the lower end of the support stocking is held in a stretched manner between the stocking receivers 20 for the insertion of the foot. During the subsequent putting on, the support stocking is drawn off from the stocking receivers 20 in the amount of the relative movement between foot and stretching device 2 over the lower end placed on the foot in order to sit close to the leg, with the support stocking being turned over, so that the inside of the stocking rests on the foot and leg. After the complete withdrawal of the support stocking from the stocking receivers 20 the foot and leg can be guided out of the stretching device between the stretching jaws 17 without having to lift the leg or having to thread out from any opening in the frame. 

1. An apparatus for putting on a support stocking with a frame comprising a stretching device for two stretching jaws each provided with a receiver for the stocking and a self-locking spindle drive for actuating the stretching device, wherein the stretching device (2) comprises stretching arms (3) which are held in a swivelable way in the frame (1), carry the stretching jaws (17) with the stocking receivers (20) and which each act via a guide rod (7) each on the spindle drive (5).
 2. An apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the guide rods (7) are adjustable in their length.
 3. An apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the stretching jaws (17) with the stocking receivers (20) can be held in a swivelable manner on the stretching arms (3) with limitations by stops.
 4. An apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the guide rods (7) can optionally be linked to one of several linkage positions (pin receivers 11, 12) between the stretching arms (3) on the one hand and the spindle drive (5) on the other hand, which linkage positions are provided along the stretching arms (3) and/or along a transverse web (8) of the spindle drive (5).
 5. An apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the two stretching arms (3) are pretensioned by a spring (21) in the direction of the stretching. 